25 Of The Best Albums To Listen For Increased Productivity

It is so true that music really does soothe the savage beast. It can also help you to be more productive at work. It doesn’t matter what type of music you listen to. As long as it is something you enjoy, listening to music can make the work day go a lot faster. A good beat can get you into a rhythm, and popular lyrics you can sing along to help to keep you in a great mood all day long. Just remember to sing under your breath so you don’t bother your co-workers.
There are many different genres of music, and everyone likes something different. Some of the most popular styles of music you will hear in many workplaces include disco, rock and roll, classical, country/western, and jazz. Here are some of the most popular albums within those genres:

Rock & Roll

There are many different sub-genres within the rock and roll genre, and any of them are great to listen to while working, as long as they are what you like listening to. If you work at a job that requires you to be on your feet and moving around, you can add a few fun dance moves while listening to your favorite rock albums. Here are some excellent options:

Who doesn’t love to sing along to Another Brick in the Wall (We Don’t Need No Education)? This album is a genuine classic, and a great album to listen to when you are just starting your work day. It’s not too heavy, but just rocking enough to get you going for the day.

If you are a fan of heavy metal, this is one album you need to have in your playlist. The songs are all danceable, but have an awesome hard rock edge.

Rap

Today, many people like the hip hop beat, and there are many great artists to listen to. This is a good type of music to listen to if you have a job that is really boring. If you can listen to music at work, rap can get you more excited, because it gets the blood racing. Some albums you may want to check out include:

This rap album deals with a lot of the issues that many people struggle with every day. You can really relate to the lyrics. If you’re doing repetitive work, there are some great beats to work to so you can really get into a rhythm. Darick Spears self-produced, mixed, mastered and wrote the album himself. Songs on this album include Risen (We Comin Up) and The Rebel of tha Church.

This is the second, and undoubtedly the best, Busta Rhymes album. It has some pretty memorable hits, including Dangerous. This album may be old school, but it stands the test of time, and is a great album to get you in the mood to work.

This album from Tupac Shakur is definitely a personal piece of work. It was released almost as soon as he was released from jail. This is a good album to listen to while you are on a break and want to have something that really pumps.

Every song on this album is awesome, and will really get you into the mood to get moving.

Disco

Everyone makes fun of disco, but secretly, most people really do like it. After all, it is great music to dance to, and there were some pretty fantastic albums from the disco era. This is a great type of music to listen to at work when you need a good energy boost. Some great disco albums to download into your playlist include:

While KISS is best known for being a hard rock band, they broke into the disco scene in 1979 with this album. Hits like I was Made for Loving You will really get you into a great mood, and you will want to get up and dance.

The best disco songs can be found on this album, from Disco Inferno to Ring My Bell to The Hustle and many more. These songs will make you want to tap your feet and move around.

Classical

Many people don’t want to listen to music that is going to get their adrenaline pumping. For instance, someone who really needs to concentrate doesn’t need lyrics that will distract them. Classical music provides the sounds they need to relax them, but no lyrics. Early in the day, you may want one of the more quiet albums, and you may like something powerful like Beethoven’s 5th later in the day. You will also find great lyrical classical music in some amazing operas. Check out such composers and albums as:

Jazz

There are many different types of jazz, and much of it is really upbeat and fun to listen to. A great example of fun jazz is the Dixieland sound. There are some great songs within this jazz sub-genre, and you can enjoy vocal and instrumental albums. A word of warning, some of the vocal tunes are so catchy you won’t be able to keep from singing along. Here are some of the best jazz albums to listen to while you are working:

While maybe best known for his electronic music in the 1980’s, Hancock was a huge influence in jazz, introducing the synthesizer to the genre. Enjoy a steady, rhythmic beat and electronic sounds that will keep you in a perky mood.

Why To-Do Lists Don’t Work (And How to Change That)

How often do you feel overwhelmed and disorganized in life, whether at work or home? We all seem to struggle with time management in some area of our life; one of the most common phrases besides “I love you” is “I don’t have time”. Everyone suggests working from a to-do list to start getting your life more organized, but why do these lists also have a negative connotation to them?

Let’s say you have a strong desire to turn this situation around with all your good intentions—you may then take out a piece of paper and pen to start tackling this intangible mess with a to-do list. What usually happens, is that you either get so overwhelmed seeing everything on your list, which leaves you feeling worse than you did before, or you make the list but are completely stuck on how to execute it effectively.

To-do lists can work for you, but if you are not using them effectively, they can actually leave you feeling more disillusioned and stressed than you did before. Think of a filing system: the concept is good, but if you merely file papers away with no structure or system, the filing system will have an adverse effect. It’s the same with to-do lists—you can put one together, but if you don’t do it right, it is a fruitless exercise.

Why Some People Find That General To-Do Lists Don’t Work?

Most people find that general to-do lists don’t work because:

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They get so overwhelmed just by looking at all the things they need to do.

They don’t know how to prioritize the items on list.

They feel that they are continuously adding to their list but not reducing it.

There’s a sense of confusion seeing home tasks mixed with work tasks.

Benefits of Using a To-Do List

However, there are many advantages working from a to-do list:

You have clarity on what you need to get done.

You will feel less stressed because all your ‘to do’s are on paper and out of your mind.

It helps you to prioritize your actions.

You don’t overlook so many tasks and forget anything.

You feel more organized.

It helps you with planning.

4 Golden Rules to Make a To-Do List Work

Here are my golden rules for making a “to-do” list work:

1. Categorize

Studies have shown that your brain gets overwhelmed when it sees a list of 7 or 8 options; it wants to shut down.[1] For this reason, you need to work from different lists. Separate them into different categories and don’t have more than 7 or 8 tasks on each one.

It might work well for you to have a “project” list, a “follow-up” list, and a “don’t forget” list; you will know what will work best for you, as these titles will be different for everybody.

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2. Add Estimations

You don’t merely need to know what has to be done, but how long it will take as well in order to plan effectively.

Imagine on your list you have one task that will take 30 minutes, another that could take 1 hour, and another that could take 4 hours. You need to know the moment you look at the task, otherwise you undermine your planning, so add an extra column to your list and include your estimation of how long you think the task will take, and be realistic!

Tip: If you find it a challenge to estimate accurately, then start by building this skill on a daily basis. Estimate how long it will take to get ready, cook dinner, go for a walk, etc., and then compare this to the actual time it took you. You will start to get more accurate in your estimations.

3. Prioritize

To effectively select what you should work on, you need to take into consideration: priority, sequence and estimated time. Add another column to your list for priority. Divide your tasks into four categories:

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Important and urgent

Not urgent but important

Not important but urgent

Not important or urgent

You want to work on tasks that are urgent and important of course, but also, select some tasks that are important and not urgent. Why? Because these tasks are normally related to long-term goals, and when you only work on tasks that are urgent and important, you’ll feel like your day is spent putting out fires. You’ll end up neglecting other important areas which most often end up having negative consequences.

Most of your time should be spent on the first two categories.

4. Review

To make this list work effectively for you, it needs to become a daily tool that you use to manage your time and you review it regularly. There is no point in only having the list to record everything that you need to do, but you don’t utilize it as part of your bigger time management plan.

For example: At the end of every week, review the list and use it to plan the week ahead. Select what you want to work on taking into consideration priority, time and sequence and then schedule these items into your calendar. Golden rule in planning: don’t schedule more than 75% of your time.

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Bottom Line

So grab a pen and paper and give yourself the gift of a calm and clear mind by unloading everything in there and onto a list as now, you have all the tools you need for it to work. Knowledge is useless unless it is applied—how badly do you want more time?